75% of companies in the industrial sector in Spain report difficulties finding the right professionals. In this context of talent scarcity, many companies make mistakes in their recruitment processes that further aggravate the problem. And the most concerning aspect is that the majority of these mistakes are avoidable.
In this article, we analyse the most common mistakes that industrial companies make when recruiting specialist technical staff without sector experience, and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Seeking the perfect profile and rejecting good candidates over minor details
One of the most common mistakes when facing a talent shortage is to seek a very specific type of candidate and reject good profiles over trivial details. This reality slows down the management of recruitment processes, leading to significant financial and time losses.
In practice, this means that many companies reject valid candidates because they do not meet 100% of the job requirements, when in reality they could develop the missing skills through relatively straightforward in-house training. In the metallurgical sector, where profiles are scarce, this rigidity can cost weeks of searching and paralysed production.
The solution lies in clearly defining which requirements are essential and which are desirable, and being willing to back candidates with potential even if they do not have the full profile covered from day one.
Mistake 2: Failing to verify the candidate's certifications and qualifications
In the industrial sector, certifications are not a detail — they are an obligation. A TIG welder without a valid EN ISO 9606 qualification, or a maintenance technician without the Metal Professional Card, can create very serious legal and liability problems for your company.
However, many companies without sector experience do not know which certifications to require for each role. They hire the candidate, integrate them into the plant, and discover weeks later that they cannot work in certain installations or do not meet the requirements of a quality audit.
Before bringing any industrial technician on board, it is essential to verify that their certifications are current and appropriate for the type of work they will be carrying out.
Good industrial technicians do not wait. If your recruitment process takes more than two or three weeks, it is very likely that the candidate you were interested in will have accepted another offer before you have made a decision.
Mistake 3: Prolonging the recruitment process for too long
Speed in recruitment and onboarding processes is a critical factor when working in sectors with a shortage of industrial technical talent, particularly because it can result in the loss of candidates who are involved in other recruitment processes.
Good industrial technicians do not wait. If your recruitment process takes more than two or three weeks, it is very likely that the candidate you were interested in will have accepted another offer before you have made a decision. In a market as competitive as welding or industrial maintenance, agility is a key differentiating advantage.
Mistake 4: Entrusting recruitment to an HR department without technical knowledge of the role
This is one of the most frequent and least visible mistakes. A generalist HR professional can perfectly manage a recruitment process for administrative or commercial profiles. But when it comes to evaluating a TIG welder, a boilermaker, or an industrial maintenance technician, a lack of technical knowledge can lead to poor decisions.
Electricians, mechanics, welders, maintenance technicians, and automation specialists are increasingly difficult to find. Vacancies remain open for months and recruitment processes yield no results. Partly because the person conducting the process does not always know what to ask or how to assess a candidate's real experience.
The solution is to involve the technical manager in the recruitment process or to work with a specialist provider who knows the sector and can correctly evaluate candidates.
Mistake 5: Failing to plan staffing needs in advance
Many industrial companies look for technical staff when they are already in an urgent situation: compromised production, missed deadlines, an overloaded team. And in that pressured context, decision-making suffers.
The lack of qualified staff threatens the productivity and innovation capacity of industrial companies, placing them in a vulnerable position. Anticipating staffing needs, planning ahead, and having identified a trusted provider before the urgency arises is the best strategy to avoid this mistake.
Mistake 6: Turning to a generalist agency to fill highly specialised profiles
A generalist agency can be a valid solution for many types of profiles. But when you need a qualified TIG welder, a boilermaker with experience in pressure vessels, or an industrial maintenance technician with specific certifications, a generalist company will rarely have access to those profiles or know how to evaluate them correctly.
Working with a specialist industrial labour provider that knows the sector, has access to a pool of qualified candidates, and understands the real demands of the role makes an enormous difference to the final outcome of the process.
At MetalBraga, we avoid these mistakes on your behalf
Many years in the metallurgical sector have given us something very valuable: we know exactly what profile each company needs, which certifications are essential, and how to identify a good industrial technician.
When a company works with MetalBraga, it does not need to worry about any of these mistakes. We take care of the entire process: from searching for and evaluating the candidate to administrative and legal management, ensuring that the professional who joins your plant is qualified, certified, and ready to work from day one.
If you wish to avoid costly mistakes in your next technical staff recruitment process, contact us. We would be delighted to help!